Sunday, September 9, 2012

'I "iwi

Mamane (shown) are just one of Hawai‘i’s endemic trees that provide habitat and forage for native honeycreeper birds, like this scarlet ‘i‘iwi (Vestiaria coccinea). The bird’s long, decurved bill is used primarily for drinking nectar, especially from the red blossoms of ʻohiʻa lehua trees.
Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park is one of the only places on earth you can experience the rare beauty of the koa-‘ohi‘a forest. Native birds and insects found nowhere else forage in these majestic trees. The park provides a refuge for many native plant and animal species on a comeback from the brink of extinction. Nearly one-third of all the endangered plant species listed in Hawai‘i occur in koa forests. The protection and perpetuation of Hawai‘i’s unique biological heritage depends on removing non-native species and planting natives. Be a part of the recovery. Help rebuild the forest.